More than four months after the demolition of Supertech twin towers in Noida, around 65 percent of the construction and demolition (C&D) waste has been cleared from the site so far even as the Noida Authority has given an extension of 45 days to Edifice Engineering to clear the debris from the site, officials privy to the development said.
Edifice Engineering carried out the demolition of the twin towers and is overseeing the debris removal process.
Officials said it will take another one-and-a-half months to completely clear the site of C&D waste.
“We have completed nearly 65 percent of the work of debris removal from the site. Our work is in progress and it will take nearly one-and-a-half months more to completely clear the site. The Noida Authority has given us 45 days extension from January 11 to complete the work. Three additional days have also been given for workforce mobilisation,” Mayur Mehta, project manager, Edifice Engineering, told Moneycontrol.
He said the delay was caused because the work was shut for a good period of time on account of the GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan) to control the spike in pollution in Delhi-NCR.
A Noida Authority official, who wished not to be named, also confirmed that the deadline has been extended by 45 days to clear the site of C&D waste. The decision in this connection was taken during a review meeting on Tuesday.
The officials said that since it is a Supreme Court-monitored project the Authority will apprise the apex court about the date extension.
On August 28, the nearly 100-metre-high structures, which were taller than Qutub Minar (73 metres), were demolished within seconds, like a house of cards, by the waterfall implosion’ technique, following an SC order over illegal construction.
Mumbai-based Edifice had roped in South African expert Jet Demolitions for razing the structures and the entire exercise was monitored by the Noida Authority.
Apex (32 floors) and Ceyane (29 floors) towers in Emerald Court in Noida’s Sector 93A had become the highest buildings demolished in India, a little over a year after the country’s top court ordered them razed for illegal construction.
On August 31, 2021, the Supreme Court said the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA) and the builder colluded to build the towers illegally and without the consent of flat owners, as required by the Uttar Pradesh Apartment Act.
The razing of the two towers has left behind an estimated 80,000 tonnes of debris. Under the plan, around 50,000 tonnes of debris would be used for filling the pit where the towers stood while the remaining 30,000 tonnes are to be transported to Noida’s C&D waste management plant in Sector 80.
The Authority has also directed the work executing agency to take up the debris removal work on priority towards the side of the Emerald Court’s nine-metre passage which was removed to demolish the twin towers.
Sources in the Authority said the builder has to rebuild the passage which gives access to the towers of Emerald Court housing society which were located close to the now demolished structure but it can be done only after that area is cleared.
The agency has been given 15 days to clear this portion, they said.
Residents’ concerns
Residents of Emerald Court and ATS Village housing complexes, which are located near the demolition site, said the noise and dust pollution along with vibrations in their towers caused by the C&D work is making it difficult for them to live.
Udaybhan Singh Teotia, President of ECO (Emerald Court) Resident Welfare Association (RWA), said that noise pollution, dust and restriction in the movement of vehicles to the basement are the main concerns of the residents of the society.
Teotia said the RWA has requested the Noida Authority to call a meeting of all stakeholders to find a solution to these issues.
“The work was to be completed by November 28 but now the timeline has been extended and the new deadline is at the end of February. So there seems to be no relief for residents from high levels of noise pollution. We have appealed to the Noida Authority to conduct a meeting of all stakeholders and find solutions to the noise pollution and also expedite the work,” Teotia said.
He added they are breaking down the basement levels using heavy machinery, which produces a high level of sound.
The Emerald Court residents had staged a protest a couple of days demanding a solution to their problems.
“The noise pollution is high in the area. We can feel it very clearly in our homes. We have to take noise insulation measures but it is still troublesome. The Noida Authority and other concerned agencies should also think about the plight of the residents,” Deepak Kumar, a resident of Emerald Court, said.
Akarsh Jain, a resident of ATS Greens Village, said the debris removal work is slow and hence the repair of the boundary wall and the drain is also not done.
“Dust along with noise pollution is also a concern. They should expedite the work as constant digging and dust emanating from the site is troubling the residents of the area,” Jain said.
A Noida Authority official said that to ascertain the levels of noise pollution a study was conducted by the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), which also pointed out that the noise pollution was higher than the permissible limits.
The standards for the noise levels vary for daytime (DT) and nighttime (NT) for all the areas. According to norms, for residential areas, the permissible limit of noise is 45 decibels during the night and 55 units during the day time. For commercial areas, it is 55 decibels (NT) and 65 decibels (DT) while for industrial areas it is 70 units (NT) and 75 units (DT).
Edifice Engineering was then directed to reduce the number of machines engaged in the work of breaking down the basement. It has now been reduced to three from five, the official said.
An Edifice Engineering official said the company was taking all precautionary measures but since it is debris removal work the noise levels are naturally a bit higher.